Nizamabad: Dissidence within the Congress has surfaced in the Banswada, Yellareddy and Jukkal Assembly constituencies of Kamareddy district.
A faction of party leaders staged protests against MLAs Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Thota Laxmikanth Rao, accusing them of favouring newcomers while neglecting senior members in party affairs and the appointment to nominated posts.
In Banswada, supporters of former MLA Enugu Ravinder Reddy voiced their grievances against MLA Srinivas Reddy. They organised protests in Birkur, alleging harassment of party cadre by members of the Pocharam family. Srinivas Reddy was elected as a BRS MLA but joined the Congress after the party came to power. Alongside him, his followers also transitioned to the Congress.
Senior Congress leaders and workers have accused Srinivas Reddy of harassing them during his tenure with the BRS and now ignoring them when within the Congress. “We have been working in the Congress for the last three decades but are facing difficult situations as our political rival has become the party's top leader,” one leader stated.
Several leaders from Jukkal protested at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Thursday against MLA Thota Laxmikanth Rao. They claimed that Rao had been promoting newcomers within the Congress while disregarding senior members. Rao’s supporters countered that a few suspended leaders, with the backing of BJP leaders and the sand mafia, are attempting to weaken the party in the Jukkal Assembly constituency.
In Yellareddy, TPCC disciplinary committee chairman G. Chinna Reddy has issued a show-cause notice to party leader Vaddepalli Subhash Reddy over alleged anti-party activities. Reports indicate that Subhash Reddy openly criticised Yellareddy Congress MLA Madanmohan Rao.
Additionally, the absence of photographs featuring government adviser Mohammad Ali Shabbir and Vaddepalli Subhash Reddy in Congress programmes has contributed to dissidence among party cadres.
